And in honor of his special day, Michelle Obama shared an adorable throwback photo of their family’s celebration on his 43rd birthday. Barack is getting ready to blow out the candle on his birthday cake while Sasha and Malia, both tiny tots in the pic, look on in awe. It’s too presh for words.

Even though this was Obama’s first chance in eight years to celebrate his birthday like a normal human, he still chose to dedicate it to making the country a better place. Bless him.

“I don’t have a card for you to sign. Instead, I have something that I know would mean even more to Barack than your well-wishes (and that’s saying something): I’m asking you to share with Barack, right now, how you’re stepping up to be a better citizen in your community. I’m asking you to share your own ‘daily act of citizenship,'” Michelle wrote to Barack’s supporters in an email celebrating his birthday. “Maybe that means attending a town or city council meeting. Maybe it means contacting one of your elected officials and speaking out about an issue that matters to you. Maybe it means helping to clean up a local park, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or tutoring in an after-school program.”

She ended her email with this sweet sentiment: “This work is what my husband is all about.”